etc.

Washington, D.C. - The Washington, D.C., Chapter of the National Railway
Historical Society (DCNRHS) has completed a major restoration of the exterior
of the historic Pullman passenger railcar, DoverHarbor. The $50,000 donor-funded preservation
project required removing the old paint from the exterior of the 85-feet long passenger
car, repairing corrosion and rust in the car’s carbon steel body constructed by
the Pullman Company in 1923, and repainting the car in authentic Pullman green.
Exact stencils and masks were created to reproduce the historical size and
appearance of the gold lettering, including a large “Pullman” above the windows
on both sides of the car. According
to DCNRHS Project Manager, Jim Lilly, a primary challenge was preserving the
historic integrity of the car. “A project of this magnitude would be
challenging for any non-profit,” Jim said, “but we have a special duty to
ensure that we not only preserve the car for the future, but do so in a way
that retains the historic accuracy of small details such as body rivets and
paint color and lettering.”

Volunteers
from DCNRHS led the project and contributed countless hours to the restoration,
overseeing the details necessary to retain the vintage car’s classic Pullman
appearance. The primary location of the work was the shops of the Western
Maryland Scenic Railroad (WMSR) in Ridgeley, WV (near Cumberland, MD). WMSR, a
not-for-profit tourist railroad, was the ideal partner for the project because
their Ridgeley shops have the facilities, equipment, and know how to perform
the heavy contract work. DCNRHS volunteers traveled frequently from the Washington
area to Ridgeley as the project progressed over this past winter, assisted by
WMSR volunteers as well.

DCNRHS
President Scarlett Wirt remarked, “It’s an amazing accomplishment to see over a
year of planning and many months’ worth of painstakingly detailed execution
come together. The car is a national
treasure, and this work ensures its continued operation in mainline service for
generations to come!” DoverHarbor returned to Washington, D.C.’s historic Union Station in
late April to begin a busy charter and public excursion season. All aboard!